Stealing Love
by VerelLupin
Summary: Stealing love was never so much fun or so much work. AH Rating for mild language and some adult themes.
1. Not Quite Sleeping Beauty

**Hey Arnold belongs to me!! No just wishful thinking.**

**Enjoy.**

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**Sunday - Four in the morning**

Arnold couldn't stand it any longer. He flung the blankets with a violence most people were unaware he possessed. "I'll make her listen."Having made up his mind, he glanced briefly at his night table.

"Four in the morning? Damm, like I need this shit now." Arnold grabbed the nearest sweatshirt and hoped to God that it was clean. Having fallen asleep in his jeans, he only paused to stomp into some boots.

He rummaged in his closet and having located several items, all of which he shoved into his old duffel bag, Arnold got into his car and headed downtown. He passed the old neighborhood, but he was in no state to reminisce. He made his way silently to her complex.

Thankfully someone had left the gate open. He guided his car to the nearest parking spot, it was close to her apartment. Apparently fate was favoring him tonight. Arnold stuck to the shadows, he spotted her balcony and was glad for the lateness of the hour.

He pondered a second, trying to recall her exact address. He remembered, it was his birthday inverted and it was a second story apartment. "Thanks Helga, way to make it easy for me."

He climbed the stairs, he'd only been here once and he'd been plastered, so having remembered where she lived was an accomplishment. Now if he could avoid being arrested, this could actually work.

He jimmied the lock and crept into the silent room, he was suddenly aware he was breaking into someone's home. The guilty thought melted into the back of his mind, right now that didn't matter. He searched for her bedroom, a closet and guest room later he found it.

He paused in the doorway, she was completely spread out on the bed. Her hair trapped by her arm. He chuckled, **'she always was a violent sleeper.' **

Arnold creped closer, he grabbed a bunch of clothes from her closet and stuffed it into the duffel bag he was carrying. He draped it sideways on his body. Once adjusted he slowly peeled the blankets off her, she was wearing a pair of men's boxers and nothing else. He was suddendly grateful she was on her stomach.

He forced his mind to focus, although he could feel a painful tightening of his pants. '**Now or never.' **Taking a deep breath, he kneeled on the bed. His weight forced her body to move towards him, he pressed his hands palm up hard against the mattress.

He inched his hands underneath her, using her own weight to move her into his arms. With great effort, Arnold gripped and pulled the light sheet with her. He maintained his eyes trained on her pretty face, taking care to cover her fully before looking down at her.

He took a steady breath and grasped Helga's wrist. He put her arm across one of his shoulders. Arnold then reached between her legs, at least as much as the sheet would allow. Passing his arm between her legs, he then grasped behind her thigh and put her on his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

He straightened up gingerly, he wanted to make sure she hadn't woken up. He saw the bottle of prescription pills on the dresser. Letting go the breath he didn't even know he was holding, he reached into his pocket.

He pulled out the brief note he printed out before leaving his apartment, and left it on the kitchen counter. Arnold adjusted his hold on her, the sheet was slippery on his shoulder. He opened her door and quickly taking her keys off the hook, he closed her apartment door.

He once again stuck to the shadows, he placed her on the seat in the back. He was amazed at what a heavy sleeper Helga was but then those sleeping pills she had taken probably helped. He prayed Phoebe would not remember she had given him that particular wonderful piece of information.

Without a backward glance, Arnold got into the car and drove as quickly as possible. Once on the highway he relaxed a little. He saw the exit for a rest stop and headed immediately for it. He pulled in.

After having made sure Helga was still asleep, he climbed into the back with her. He locked the doors and settled for a much needed nap, after all he would have to deal with her in the morning. Grabbing the blanket from the front seat, he curled up next to her. Her face pillowed on his shoulder, Arnold laid a kiss on her temple and promptly fell asleep.


	2. Prince Charming Takes a Dive

**Hee!Hee!...I made Arnold a bad boy.**

**Enjoy.**

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"Arnold…you son of a b…," the rest was muffled as Arnold sat up automatically placing his hand over her mouth. "Geez, Hel. It's like," Arnold checked his watch. "Oh, it's eight already," he looked at the blonde that somehow had ended up beneath him, her nails attempting to scratch his eyes out.

"Breakfast? Or do you want to stop at a hotel and freshen up first?" He asked, pinning her hands on either side of her head. Helga bucked, desperate to get him off her. Arnold's eyes closed in a silent prayer, "Please stop. You don't know what you're doing." he whispered through gritted teeth.

"Arnold, Get off…" her outraged shout was cut short by his lips. Helga ceased her struggling as Arnold peppered her face and moved down her. He nipped at her neck, lightly sucking on her pulse point. Helga gasped nearly forgetting her reason for letting him do this to her.

Arnold's hands had relaxed around hers. They slid down her side, brushing the side of her breast. Helga immediately lifted her hand and smacked the back of his head, hard. "Are you crazy, what do you think you're doing. Where the hell are we and why am I here?" Arnold tried to move himself off her but the blanket had become tangled around their legs.

He reached between them to untangle his side but his hand was smacked, "Arnold!" she squealed. Arnold flushed, quickly removing his hand and rubbing the back his neck. "Sorry."

'**At least she hasn't noticed she isn't wearing any clothes yet,'** he mused idly. "Where are my clothes?" she shrieked. Obviously Arnold had used up all his luck last night. He put his head in his hands, this was not the way he wanted to start this morning.

Resigned he hoped that this disastrous morning would change into a decent day.

She had begun hyperventilating, he knew from experience this was her way of stopping the tears. "Helga, please calm down. I shouldn't have taken advantage. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed you." He apologized, his hand moving in small circles on her back.

She raised tear stained cheeks, her eyes full of impending tears, "Why now, Arnold."

She hiccupped shrugging his hand off her. Pulling the sheet tighter around her, she untangled it forcibly from his legs. Arnold watched her scoot closer to the door, escaping him as much as she could in their confined space.

"I had to make my move. I just couldn't let you walk out of my life again. I regret so much what happened between us, Helga." He handed her the bag he had hastily packed the night before. "Arnold what am I going to tell my friends and family?" she asked rubbing her eyes like when she was younger.

Arnold yanked her away from the window, the sheet forgotten between them. "You're going to tell them that the man that's been in love with you all his life took you." He hissed, his green eyes dark with emotion.

Arnold looked into those blue eyes that had haunted his dreams for the last two months. "You're mine. I'm not about to let anybody take you from me, especially not today. Do you understand." She nodded not sure of this new facet of his personality.

She realized that her chest was in full view but Arnold's gaze did not stray, "but, Arnold, what will I tell Bill. Today is my wedding day."

"I know but I have other plans." He turned his back to her, giving her some privacy and him some time to settle the turmoil within him. Jumping into the driver's seat, he shouted back to her. "Get dressed. We'll be there in a couple of hours."

"Where are we going?" She asked struggling to slip her t-shirt over the sheet.

"You'll see."


	3. Detour From Happily Ever After

**Ok, so this is a way long chapter. I might be a while before I update. **

**I've toned down the content but be advised the next chapter may have some more adult **

**situations. Keep in mind Helga and Arnold are in their mid 20's. **

**Enjoy...flames are welcome but reviews are loved.**

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**_Two Years Ago - Friday _**

_"Why, am I doing this?" he wondered aloud, making his way down the hallway and towards a closed door._

_"Gerald, Gerald, Jeez man wake up!" he shouted into the darkened room. "Huh? What" Gerald's groggy voice answered. "Is Pheebs there with you?"_

_"She's my wife, where else would she be?" Gerald leaned over the body taking up most of his bed, "Babe, you awake?" Arnold was getting impatient and Gerald's soft wake up techniques were taking too long._

_"Gerald, cover up. I'm coming in." Arnold announced, stepping cautiously into the room. He spied the dark hair underneath the blanket and for a moment, reconsidered. **'Could he really go through with this?' **_

_"Arnold, she's at the airport. Waiting for…" Phoebe yawned and slipped back into unconsciousness. "Who is she waiting for?" Arnold pleaded, shaking phoebe until she opened an eye. "Bill."_

_Not wasting any more time, he ran out of the room and down the stairs. Grabbing his keys, he made a run for the airport, **'Don't Leave. Please Don't Leave.' **Several broken traffic laws later, Arnold parked._

_"Hey, you can't park there. Loading and unloading of passengers only." security shouted at him._

_"Take the car, it's a piece of trash anyway." he shouted back._

_Arnold took several deep breaths, just enough to let his heart slow down. The terminal was brightly lit, Arnold looked around and spotted what he was looking for, the flight board._

_He looked, "Good she should still be here." Arnold followed the signs, he saw the yellow markings that pertained to gate 28. He sighed with relief, they were still waiting. Arnold was not feeling particularly charitable this morning and showed it by shoving past the people waiting._

_"Sir, I'm sorry you're going to have to wait your turn. Next person." Arnold growled in frustration. "Look, um.." He looked down at her name tag in an effort to control his temper, "Bridget, is it?" She raised her eyebrow, frosty attitude on full blast. "Yes sir, it is."_

_"This is really important. The girl that I've been in love with for years and who I stupidly let go of, is going to be on this flight. I need a ticket like right now. Just one ticket and I'll get out of your hair." catching his breath, he placed his hands on hers, "If I'm not on that flight, I lose her."_

_Bridget visibly melted, ignoring the disgruntled crowd behind him asked, "Alright, do you have any I.D…?" Arnold slapped his wallet on the counter, Visa and I.D. prominently displayed. She typed his information with lighting speed and gave him his boarding pass._

_"Thanks." a charming smile plastered on his face. "Good luck," she whispered, "Next."_

_He frantically searched the waiting area. He sat down drumming his fingers, not sure what he was waiting for. "What are you doing here?" He looked up shiny brown hair hanging no farther than two inches from his startled face._

_"I had to come…I couldn't…" he struggled to make the words come out. His relief at finding at least her obscuring any need to be coherent. "You have to leave, if she sees you…" Lila trailed off, nervously looking around them._

_"No, I'm not leaving until I get an explanation." Lila bit her lip, unsure what she could say to get him to leave. "Arnold, now is not a good…" Arnold cut her off, a familiar pink sweater coming towards him. "Helga!" he shouted._

_Helga had just taken a drink of a very hot espresso, her mouth clenched in pain. The steaming liquid now spread on her ridiculously thin top. "Oh for the sake of all things, cute and cuddly." she spat._

_Arnold strode to her, uncaring that Lila was now staring at the back of him. "I thought. I wouldn't… be able to reach you." If Helga could have predicted anything this morning, running into Arnold would definitely not have been in the top ten. "I was hoping for that." she replied glaring at him._

_"Come with me." he pulled her aside. "We talked about this, remember? We have too many issues Arnold. I thought we had both agreed on this." Lila stood in the middle of the walkway signaling at her wrist. "Look, when we were together it was really good but now it just over."_

_It took all of her poise not to throw herself in his arms, but she had waited too long. "I was wrong for leaving you for so long. I knew that there was a good chance I would not find my parents but I had to try." Helga looked away from him._

_"Arnold. I don't blame you for that. We broke apart because you wouldn't share your life with me." she said. Lila was now jumping up and down and signaling frantically._

_"Let's go you're going to miss your plane." He looked at Lila who stopped jumping, her eyes not quite meeting Arnold's. Helga walked through the terminal and handed her ticket to the flight attendant. She turned and waved once to Arnold._

_He waved back and stared dejectedly at the gate. "That is a waste of a perfectly good ticket." Arnold turned, Bridget the ticket agent was standing behind him. "All that just to let her go?" she asked._

_Arnold pulled out the ticket and handed it to some random man in line._

_The man looked at the ticket and watched the blonde man walk away with his hands in his pockets, never once looking back at the planes._

_Helga was still in the terminal, the lump in her throat kept her from making a sound. _

_**'It's better like this.' **_

She woke up disoriented. The dream evaporated back into the place that held all her other memories of Arnold. She eyed the clock on the dashboard it read 11:46. She hadn't meant to doze off but being kidnapped apparently had that effect on her.

Arnold was singing along to the music blasting from the radio.

**But you don't have a clue **

**You don't know what you do to me**

**Wont someone stop this song**

**So I won't sing along**

He turned it down as soon as he realized she was awake. "Good nap?" he asked staring straight ahead. "You could say that." she said undoing her braid and hand combing her hair. "So you haven't told me where we are going?"

**I would die for you**

**I've gone to far to get over you**

**But you don't have a clue**

**You don't know what you do to me**

The song was muted but she could still make out a couple of sentences. Helga wondered if that was the way Arnold thought about their relationship. As something that he had no control of, "I'm gonna guess Vegas." he gave her that half lidded look. "Yes and no." he replied.

**This lovesick melody **

**Is gonna get the best of me**

**But you wont get to me if I don't sing**

Helga finally turned off the radio. She wasn't going to lie to herself, it kinda hurt that it had taken 'til she got married for Arnold to come for her. "What do you mean, either were going or not?" she asked. He turned on the radio but a different song was on, "We are but that's not our final destination."

"Just relax. The final destination is your choice. If you want to end it there, I'll respect that." Arnold lifted her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. Helga wanted to pull away and yell at him, she hated that she was falling so quickly back in love with him.

The angry little girl in her reared her little head, shaking her to get a hold of herself for crimeny's sake. She pounded her little fists against the emotion welling inside her but despite herself, Helga squeezed his fingers.

The hostile tension between them deflated leaving the radio as the only sound in the car.

**We tried to fight it but something is written in the stars**

**Two hearts that need some healing**

They both bobbed their heads, yes that was the way their paths were and the song was suddenly very appropriate for a second chance and maybe that final hurdle they had struggled with all their lives.


End file.
